Padel Emerges as a Growing Social and Athletic Trend in Hyderabad

…7 Padel adding to the buzz, the city’s padel courts are quickly becoming the new social hubs. THE COURT BECOMES THE COMMON GROUND For Srikanth Reddy, padel started casually with friends but quickly became a passion. “ What kept me coming back was the combination of competitiveness, fitness and the sheer amount of fun you can have on a court ,” he says. As founder of White Horse Padel Club and part of the Hyderabad Padel League, he has seen the community grow first-hand. “You can walk onto a court as strangers and walk off feeling like you have made new…

…enjoyed how different it felt despite having a lot of similarities to tennis,” he says. The walls were the biggest difference. “In tennis, you’re often thinking about power, court positioning and creating space. In padel, the walls completely change the way you think about a point. You have to be patient, react quickly and understand angles and positioning. ” The tactical challenge is what keeps him hooked. The social side adds another layer, bringing together friends and players from different racquet-sport backgrounds. WHERE RACQUET SPORTS COLLIDE Vivek Reddy…

…glass, which is a very squash court kind of behaviour. You play volleys at the net, which is very tennis, and you also lob the ball a lot.” But he points to an important difference from pickleball: the entry barrier. “ You need to have some level of racket sport experience to be able to actually enjoy paddle or the feel of it. ” THE NEW WEEKEND SOCIAL For Mohd Asaduddin and Anam Mirza, entrepreneurs, padel is as much about people as the game. Introduced by friend Rohit Nanda, co-founder and owner of Kiwi Stars, Asaduddin soon began playing…

…Asaduddin and Anam Mirza, entrepreneurs, padel is as much about people as the game. Introduced by friend Rohit Nanda, co-founder and owner of Kiwi Stars, Asaduddin soon began playing with Anam, friends and cousins. " For me, padel is more of a social activity ," says the former professional cricketer. “It’s about catching up with friends, doing an activity together rather than just sitting at one place and talking.” For Anam, the community is the biggest draw. “Padel is more…

…in the Hyderabad Padel League. “After having my daughter, I missed the feeling of playing and competing and padel came to me at the right time,” she says. Her tennis instincts helped, but the glass changed the game. “ In padel, the glass gives your opponent another way back into the rally, so even when you think you’ve hit the winner, the point isn’t necessarily over. ” The game demands patience and strategy. “It really challenges you to be patient, construct the point, and know when to finish.” A SECOND CHANCE AT THE GAME For Rama Rishabh, athlete, padel is less a new sport and more…